diversity in the last meeting and i want the full committee to know that my mother is a turk and i was raised in a mixed household. my family is scattered across the middle east and i'm sensitive to concerns and the issues that people of middle east and muslims face in this country in their day and age. thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> thank you for hearing us, again, my name is josh wolf. i think i spoke on each member of your staff, but just real quick, i had an opportunity in the 2012 election to work on the proposal for berky sunshine task force and that was a great opportunity to get a sense, not the berky sunshine task force, but the ballot ot

measure and we can see how the sunshine measure could work. in addition to that, i'm a free lance reporter and my work has appeared in the science monitor, the san francisco public press and other public application, and if you have questions, i'm here to address those. >> thank you. >> how, good afternoon. my name is martin and i know supervisor tang and yee sat through my statement. i want to introduce myself to supervisor campos, to put a face with the name. i'm a lawyer and i represent injured workers. i've been doing that for five years and i deal with people's problems everyday, and getting them through those. no one come to your office because they're happy and the same may be for the task force. i wanted to put a name with a face.

thank you. >> good afternoon, chair yee, supervisor tang and campos. i was before you two weeks ago and talked a bit about my volunteer background and many years of service on various organizations. i didn't say anything about my day job. i have a phd in psychology from john hopkins university. i've spent most of my career doing studies at the bay hunter's point foundation and at ucff, i was the san francisco general during the height of the aid's epidemic working with injection drug users. i then switched my career and worked at the jewish home. i have a diversity of work experience,

but i'll bring diversity to the task force in several ways. first of all, being one of two women should i be reappointed. i believe i'm the oldest member. that's hard to imagine to have that position. >> i can relate to you. >> and also i will be the longest serving member of the task force, and i think it's critically important. i want to reiterate what my colleague chris highland said. it's very important to have some institutional memory, the law is complex. we have set various precedents and it's difficult to get through our agenda so the newer members in the past two years have deferred certainly to member yee

to me and help to getting through a long evening, so thank you, once, again supervisor yee for your support and supervisor campos in the past for your support. thank you. >> good afternoon, chair yee and supervisor. my name is wolf. i won't reiterate what i presented in the earlier meeting. but i'm here today to let you know i'm here and i think attendance is important. and even though i had to take the day off from work today, i do have a flexible enough schedule to make meetings when necessary and have that happen. i understand your concerns. i want to just reiterate that i have the experience for this position. i have served on the position -- on the task force for quite

some time, and i think returning to it in light of the concepts of history and also in -- in just making it whole and real and workable and efficient, i think it's important and i would hope that would you reconsider. thank you. >> hello. good afternoon, supervisors. my name is lee, and i also was before you a couple of weeks ago and just a few comments. first of all, i'm experienced for this position as a civil litigation attorney, i have used the california public records act on multiple occasions to acquire information when normal discovery procedures were not available. i filed a petition this morning to have what is otherwise a private, very --

before the city of berkeley. these issues are within my wheel house. my boss appreciates the sunshine task force. his recommendation letter is in your file and he's encouraging me to do this as well. i don't think there's a doubt that i'll have the time away from work to do this. since our last meeting, i've had meetings with supervisor yee and winer. i discussed the position with numerous members, past and present of the sunshine ordinance task force, and in the hopes that i can tackle that learning curve as quickly as possible. as a new member on the that -- as a new member on the task force, i'll be able to learn and tackle it quickly. i think it should be clear and precise. i say that communication is everything. i think anybody that's worked with

me can attest to my easy temperament when approaching the most conflicting issues. lastly as a member of the lgbt community in san francisco, having to study the lgbt movement in debt, -- moved in depth, i know what it takes to make sure that access is available. i know it's not unique to the lgbt movement that it affects minority groups and minorities are -- i think an emerging battle is the ex collusion of low income -- i'm sensitive to diversity issues and i think that the task force needs to be a diverse body. i think i represent at least one element of that diversity and i thank

you very much for your consideration for my candidacy. >> any other public comments. i have a few cards. dr. gear and patrick, tom and jackson west. so for those i just called up, come up in the order i called. >> what was the first one? >> dr. gear. >> i'm dr. cur. at the last meet, dr. tang deployed a test against task force applicants. they had to vowel obedience to whatever deputy city attorney was assigned to the task force. you as you

know, the city attorney has a duty to defend the city, and every sunshine complaint is directed at the city. some are directed against the city attorney's office for wrongly withholding public records. because the city is the respondent in every sunshine case, there's a conflict in having a city attorney dictating to the task force. that's why the sunshine ordinance requires that the assigned attorney, quote, shall serve solely as a legal advisory and advocate to the task force, unquote and that's behind an ethical wall. that's in the ordinance. the assigned dca functions as an assigner and not a ruler, but supervisor tang has us believes that it's an authority. if that were the case, the city attorney could simply

adjudicate all sunshine complaints. they'll be no need for a sunshine task force or for courts, or for judges. the trouble is voters did not want that degree of efficiency. they want input from the society of professional journalist, the league of women voters, new american media and the disability community. supervisor tang should drop her anti- sunshine test and accept independent nominees who are committed to open government rather than to her wishes. thank you. >> i'm patrick. the private citizen. i absolutely concur with dr. kur. the test is a [inaudible]. take for example, the three task members, rules represented on may 15 that the full board approved may

20. on may 15th, [inaudible]. she wants more mediation of task force complaints and wants to gain similar complaints into ape similar hearing, but fisher is ignoring dca advice from april 2013 and the complaintents should be able to get one. they ignore they shouldn't force the mediation and not -- and should not be forced into combining multiple complaints. david who you recommended and was appointed, heard deputy city attorney josh's advice on april 28th that he claimed -- respondent

gill had been denied due process by [inaudible]. dca white said topol would collect and he agreed. 17 days later, he pulls up at role and asserted again that the members don't know where due process is attached. he's ignored dca white's advice. you should remove him from the task force. >> hello, i'm jackson west. previously a volunteer member of the task force. i wanted to come and support the previous members i worked with, mrs. washburn and mr. wolf, also support the

other mr. wolf, but particularly to support mr. hepner and [inaudible]. i understand directly how frustrating the process at the sunshine task force meetings can be, the ultimate frustration has been in the lack of effective independent council, independent that is of the city attorney's office, especially in the absence of the ethics commission taking up task force complaints, so as a former member, i wanted to endorse hef ner who i know will be effective attorneys to speak on the task force both within and without meetings. cheers. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i'm richard. i'm a member of the task force and i'm speaking here as an individual. i have a question to raise about the candidacy of

topra who is on the new american nominee. first let me say that i have nothing to say about topra and good things about new american media. i talked with topra on friday and i'm sure if he's appointed, he'll do a good job on the task force, but my concerns are that he might not be qualified for seat number four. seat number four must be -- is for a journalist nominated -- the journalist must be from a minority owned organization. and mr. topra is coordinator for an organization called the [inaudible] foundation. and maybe i understand he's talked with each of and maybe

you've already answered the questions that are satisfied are the concerns i'm raising. you may want to consult with your deputy city attorney. at any rate, if those questions were not answered, i would suggest that you defer action on their topra's appointment. >> good afternoon supervisors. i'm the immediate past president of the society of professional journalist northern california chapter. the delay by the board of supervisors in appointing candidate to the sunshine task force has had the effect that there's few members that it's hard to get a quorum which has presented the task force of doing the business it was set up to do. as tom points out, the

public wants transparency and journalist have a role to play in pressing for that transparency. the spj chapter has been around for seven decades pushing for freedom of information and sunshine with the support of our nation organization the entire time. access to public records is a vital tool for us for journalist to do -- to fulfill their public watch dog role and holding government accountable and exposing government works to light. there's an open mindedness and there's a crucial component of any journalist mindset and that is also an important piece of the sunshine ordinance task force work. our freedom of information committee is vigorous arm for advocacy for transparency, and thorough -- has thorough vetted our two nominates. it took the rules committee over half a year to put their

names on the agenda and then at least month's meeting, the committee declined to send those names to the full board of supervisors for approval while approving other candidates who had poor records of attending task force meetings. it's questionable at best. we have two candidates who have outstanding credentials who are extremely qualified and who are committed to the task force. therefore, i would vigorously ask the committee to [inaudible] nominations to the full board of supervisors for approval. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> next.

>> good afternoon, supervisors, i'm peat, executive direct of library users association the years we've had dozens of cases at the sunshine task force. a vast majority has been successful including one last night. i'm also the recipient as part of the steering committee of the society for professional journalist, james madison, freedom of information award for work that we did on open government in another municipality in the bay area, so i do know something about sunshine. your cavalier passing over of candidates that are on today's list will range in quality from excellent to stellar is shameful. and it's an attack on democracy and an attack on sunshine. as you

well know with the immediate change of rules with the new regime that came in two years ago when you kicked out basically everybody that was there previously, they changed the rule to requiring six votes, and so every single -- they can see as well as every single absence is noted and a no vote on the public's complaint. last night with one holder not coming, a couple of holdovers and everybody who was there was a holder and there was seven members and anybody facing that task force and looking for a decision as i was and another member of the public had to get a super, not just a super, but a super duper majority on six votes out of seven. and every meeting they have where they don't have a full compliment is a shameful kind of destruction on your part

against the public that has asked for open government. thank you. >> good afternoon, members. my name is rose and i'm here enthusiastically to support the reappointment of mrs. wash burn, mr. [inaudible] and i would also

like to see some action taken to appoint mr. wolf to the task force. i believe that he's done the best job that he can and i've known them for many, many years and it's time that we put his knowledge -- his dedication to open government to work. so i urge you to put him back on the task force. thank you.

speaker: hello, again, supervisors. tom, different hat than my cac hat. i'm the co-president of the democratic club and i know all of about a month ago received our letter of support for the appointment of hef ner who has served on the executive board of harvey milk club it receive. the club was founded speckly that lgbt voices were heard from the board of supervisors and task forces and lee is the exact voice that we should be amplifying. he's an eager and

passionate lgbt advocate member and is dedicated to public service which is the kind of person we would like to see on our city committee. and the milk club started some 40 years ago of being a queer community leader who brings voices of other communities to the table to help those with labor groups and those of color and on the board he serves as a contact for organizations working on the housing and displacement crisis, working in communities of color like husta and on the task force, he'll be someone who will really adequately represent the lgbt community but many underserved communities who will benefit from her commitment to public service and to increase transparency and government. i urge you to support mr. hef ner and i would

like to lend my support to mr. wolf who is seeking your appointment today. thank you supervisors. >> bruce, i helped sheppard the original sunshine ordinance and task force through city hall. i'm really delighted to see as many talented and diverse candidates for the task force as i've seen today. the point is they're here today. they didn't get approved yesterday. you didn't take the candidates -- there's a vendeta against good people on the task force, against the ordinance and the task force at a time when we need the task force. i call it the sunshine game. the word is

getting out. supervisor block the watch dog task force. let me give you a sense of reality here, this is a real major issue. the supervisors that come out here on the right side, in other words on behalf of the sunshine and on behalf of good candidates, on behalf of the league of women voters people, on behalf of the people that came here today who are qualified. they're too got damn qualified to be on the task force according to what you and the board did last time. everybody who votes along with the anti- sunshine task -- the anti- sunshine task force gang is going to be branded and anti- sunshine and you're going to go down sooner or later in public opinion and in elections. >> thank you. >> let's be on the side of sunshine.

>> supervisor tang, and campos, i appreciate the opportunity to address you. my name is will matthews and i'm the communication officers here in san francisco. i sit on sgj, freedom committee. i'm not here in a formal capacity, but evidenced by my seat on the committee, there is a clear interception between the lcl to open government and not of the society of journalist. supervisor san francisco deserve a city government that is accessible to the constituents that it purports to serve and one that is transparent and willing, willing to be held accountable by the public that votes governmental leaders into office, such commitments are the essence of quality service and it's my hope and expectation that those

are commitments shared by all three members of this committee. the key to insuring the kind of transparent and government here in san francisco that the public deserve and demand keeping the sunshine ordinance task force fully staffed and operational and i fear the need to do so that it's not a priority of san francisco county government. something that would endanger the trust that the public has in its government, a trust that is key for any government to work effectively. so it is that i again, formally request that you send sbj's nominees, mark, to the full board for approval. thank you very much. >> supervisor tangs, yee, and

campos. >> i'm the online coordinator. i'm also a member of the freedom of information committee for the society journalist, northern california chapter. and i'm here to speak and volunteer my support for mark and holly winston. they are qualified candidates and they are eminently eager to serve this city's government, this communities needs. it's a sunny day outside. we should bring some sunshine inside. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors, madam clerk. i'm here to support allison wash burn, and wolf and

chris highland. all of them have experience on the task force. you need continuity on the task force. there's a big learning curve on task force and you'll be appointing six new member and some of they don't know the difference between -- owe you need some experience to remain on the task force. let me just say some of the frustration you've been hearing is actually is justified that you haven't appointed the lawyer position on the task force for two years, and then you criticize the task force for sometimes maybe violating ordinances or the charter, so

it's imperative that you fill all the seats today. make your recommendations today and show the task force. thank you. >> any other public comments at this moment for this item? seeing none, public comment is now closed. >> something raised a question on seat for four in regards to the applicant, can you get some clarification on that on whether the person -- >> the sunshine ordinance provides this seat shall be held by a journalist by an ethnic news organization. i see two documents from